Oxford, MS—Theatre Oxford’s 2013 Annual Ten Minute Play Festival comes to the Powerhouse Community Arts Center in Oxford October 24, 25, and 27.  Every year, Theatre Oxford holds the National 10 Minute Play Contest receiving submissions from playwrights from all over the world.  The Top Five Finalists from the Contest are presented at the Staged Readings in May, where the Grand Prize Winner is determined.  The winning play is then fully produced along with four other plays, featuring several written by local playwrights, at the Annual Ten Minute Play Festival in the fall.  The Festival involves lots of talented local actors and directors and celebrates the playwright and the genre of the ten minute play!

Theatre Oxford is now celebrating 14 years of ten minute plays!  Local playwrights, Neil White and LW Thomas, founded the National 10 Minute Play Contest in 1998.  The first Grand Prize Winner was produced in 1999 prior to the production of Neil White’s play “Paper.”  The Annual Ten Minute Play Festival started in 2000 and featured the Grand Prize Winner from the National Contest and locally written plays.  The Annual Ten Minute Play Festival was and still is an ideal way to showcase local playwrights and excite local audiences about productions.

This year, the Festival boasts two winning plays—the Grand Prize Winner as well as the Audience Award Winner from the National Contest.  Congratulations to Mark Cornell of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, winner of the LW Thomas Award, and Adam Joseph Seidel of Chicago, Illinois, who took the audience vote at the Staged Readings in May!  Other plays being produced at the Festival this year are written by locals, Bill Dabney and Judith Isacoff.  Two time winner of the National Contest, Austin K. Steinmetz of Columbus, Ohio, has also allowed us to produce another one of his plays and is being dubbed an honorary Oxonian this year!

Local playwright Bill Dabney says about having his play produced at the 2013 Festival, “After participating as an actor in the Ten Minute Play Festival last year, I thought I would try my hand at writing one.  You can imagine my surprise when the play I submitted–the first play I’ve ever written–was selected to be performed in this year’s Festival.  I’m so honored to have been chosen as one of the playwrights, and I’m excited to see my play come to life on the Theatre Oxford stage.”

The Annual Ten Minute Play Festival is one of Theatre Oxford’s most well attended productions.  Audiences seem to love the format.  And it’s been jokingly said that if you don’t like one play, wait ten minutes and there’ll be another one!

Don’t miss one of Oxford’s favorite theatrical events!  Tickets are available at www.theatreoxford.com or www.theatreoxford.ticketleap.com or by calling the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council at 662.236.6429.  $10 for Theatre Oxford Members and Students / $15 Regular Admission.  Cash bar Thursday and Friday.  Adult themes and language. For more information about the National Contest or Annual Festival, please contact Contest & Festival Director, Alice Walker, at 10minuteplays@gmail.com.

–

The 2013 Annual Ten Minute Play Festival Lineup

Produced by Alice Walker

The 2013 Festival features the Grand Prize Winner from Theatre Oxford’s National 10 Minute Play Contest, the Audience Award Winner from the Contest, and three locally written plays!  Don’t miss one of Oxford’s favorite theatrical events!

–

EVAPORATED

by Judith Isacoff formerly of Oxford, Mississippi
directed by Jaime Adams
Linda – Claire Gershon
Jerry – Jake Hall

–

THE SOULMATE TRAIN

by Bill Dabney of Oxford, Mississippi
directed by Casey Cockrell
Ray – Greg Earnest
Billy – Collin Alford
Ali – Sarah Holland Stokes
Kate – Eve Gershon
Charlotte – Meaghin Burke
Jack – Andy Douglas
Engineer – Lester Ferrell

–

UNUSUAL SUSPECTS

by Austin K. Steinmetz of Columbus, Ohio
A Two Time Grand Prize Winner of the
National 10 Minute Play Contest and Honorary Oxonian!
directed by Andy Douglas
Hazel – Lynn Wells
Franky – Jack Williams
Rover – Randy Weeks
Detective Maddox – Bill Dabney

–

ONE OF MANY STRANGE THINGS THAT HAPPEN ON A CRUISE SHIP

by Adam Joseph Seidel of Chicago, Illinois
Winner of the Audience Award
from the 2013 National 10 Minute Play Contest!
directed by Bruce Butler
Kate – Kelly Simpson
Dan – Bryant Beverly

–

BAD THING

by Mark Cornell of Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Grand Prize Winner of the LW Thomas Award
from the 2013 National 10 Minute Play Contest!
directed by Alice Walker
Mike – Nick Husbands
Jimmy – Chandler Craig 

–